The USC career of receiver Mario Williams is over. Williams, who came to USC from Oklahoma along with Caleb Williams (no relation), endured an injury-plagued 2022 season but made some meaningful contributions to a good Trojan team. Mario Williams worked well with Jordan Addison and was part of a very explosive and productive offense. He did drop some passes that year, but he still was an impact player, albeit not on the same scale as Addison, who was a legitimate college football superstar at his position.
In 2023, with Addison gone to the NFL, Mario Williams was expected to take the next step in his evolution and development. It just didn’t happen. We all saw how much USC missed Addison in the wide receiver room. We were able to appreciate how much Addison stretched and opened up the field for his teammates. Williams and new receiver Dorian Singer weren’t able to have that same effect on the rest of the Trojans’ wideouts. Caleb Williams struggled to find open receivers with the same regularity he enjoyed one year earlier.
Now, here we are: Mario Williams has decided to enter the transfer portal. Some might say it’s a huge loss for USC, given his upside, but after seeing how 2023 went, it’s probably best for both the player and the program that a parting of ways is occurring. Lincoln Riley can look for a new receiver in the portal, with Julian Fleming of Ohio State being one obvious option if he can land the plane.
USC wide receiver Mario Williams just entered the transfer portal. Had transferred into USC from Oklahoma with Caleb Williams. Had 29 receptions for 305 yards this season.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 15, 2023
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